September 2009
Exhibitor FAQ: Olympia Film Society
The Independent talks with the Olympia Film Society's film programmer, Helen Thornton, about the best ways for filmmakers to bring their work to OFS’s attention.
September 22nd, 2009 | Emily Cataneo
The Independent's Exhibitor FAQ series provides resources and advice on how to get your film onto the big screen. In this installment, the Olympia Film Society is featured; Helen Thornton, the Society's film programmer, discusses the Society, its film festival, and how independent filmmakers can get their work shown at the theater.
The Olympia Film Society (OFS) has been bringing independent, experimental, and underrepresented film to the Olympia, Washington community since 1980. The society programs the Weekly Film Series, a series of independent and international films that sometimes includes one-time screenings and discussions with filmmakers.
Film-Friendly State: Shooting in Michigan
In the first installment of The Independent's new Film-Friendly States series, Erin Trahan explores why Michigan might be the perfect spot to shoot your next film.
September 18th, 2009 | Erin Trahan
There is no doubt that the war of the tax credits can have an impact on your bottom line. And with states competing to get the best incentives on the books, it’s a buyer’s market. So how can filmmakers choose the right destination? A new series from The Independent assesses some of the top locations for independents in the United States.
From New Mexico to Massachusetts, from Michigan to California, state and local governments are luring film-production business by passing increasingly competitive tax-incentive policies. Michigan recently joined the party in April 2008, with an unprecedented 42 percent return.
Sustaining Big Projects through Small Gigs
A trend toward online documentary-style commercials might be a good source of supplemental income for filmmakers.
September 17th, 2009 | Enette Ngoei
Corporate television commercials are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Instead, businesses both big and small are turning to documercials, commercials shot like documentaries, to more sincerely convey their message via the Internet. Like it or not, this trend is opening up doors for independent filmmakers — both financially and professionally.
A machine’s dial turns, and a white powder is added to a spinning beaker of water as a woman’s voice overhead talks about toothpaste and animal testing. It looks like a documentary you might find on PBS, but instead, it’s a commercial for Tom's of Maine.
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